Please make
your Pet & House Sitting reservations in advance for all
major holidays: Christmas, New Year, Spring Break, Easter,
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and all
Three-Day Weekends. Special Note: Thanks to all
of my existing clients! Due to your continued support, as of
January 2008 I will be limiting the number of new clients and preference
will be given to referrals.

- 10%
households with Active U.S. Military Members & 5%
households with U.S. Military Veterans

10%
& 5%

Please note: Everyone’s home is a little bit different. The
above prices should be considered ‘guidelines’ that we will try to follow as
much as possible in preparing your estimate and quote. From time to time we
evaluate these prices and make adjustments to allow for increases/decreases in
materials & labor costs. You can be assured that before you leave, your contract
will show what prices will be in effect for your trip. If you need something
done or taken care of that is not shown, please ask and we
will try to accommodate your requests and needs. Our #1 goal is to make sure
that your home runs as smoothly as possible in your absence.

I have lived in Flagstaff since 1975 and I have been operating Karl’s House Check as a
professional house & pet sitting service since October 1996.

Why did you start Karl’s House Check?

I experienced a severe water leak at my home
(apartment) while away on vacation. That made me start thinking about
how to prevent something like that from happening again and it developed
into my idea for a "House Checking" business. Some very wise advice from
my family caused me to include "Pet Sitting" as well – a natural
combination for me since I have always seemed to have a special bond
with our family pets and just about all pets I meet.

What do you do when making your "House Checks"?

You will find that almost all tasks will be included
in my services. A sample list includes: feed the cat, sift/clean the
litter box, water the plants, feed the fish, get the mail, feed the
dogs, get the paper, bring in packages, monitor the utilities, check for
frozen pipes, take out the trash and recycling, watch the house, etc…

How much will it cost to watch my house and pets?

All homes are unique. Here are some examples…

One dog, inside home at night, inside fenced
backyard during day, no doggy door, home located inside city limits,
I have been issued a set of keys since they are "regular" clients.

Two visits per day: $20 for (1st)
morning visit and $15 for (2nd) evening visit. No key
pick-up or drop-off fees. No mileage charge.

Two cats always inside, home outside city limits,
I have not been issued a set of keys even though they are "regular"
clients and this is their tenth contract.

One visit per day: $20 for visit (usually
evening). Key pick-up & drop-off fees total $30. Mileage charge of
$0.50 for each mile past official city limit for all trips made –
including key pick-up and drop-off mileage.

Summer home within
city limits, Clients stay in Flagstaff May through September,
would like House Checks twice per month during October through April
while away.

Each House Check visit
during “winter” months: $20. Quarterly invoices are sent for services
at the end of each quarter – March, June, September and December.

How long do you stay at a house?

When looking after pets (usually dogs & cats), I
generally stay about 30 minutes for feeding, cleaning up, playing and
whatever else is part of their routine.

Do you ever stay overnight?

No I do not. However, I am usually able to arrange an
appropriate number of daily visits to take care of almost all situations
and satisfy both the pet(s) and pet owner(s).

Do you ever care for pets in your own home?

No I do not. This would require specific facilities,
licenses, insurance and much more that would basically turn my business
into a kennel.

What about leaving my pets at a kennel instead?

Many pets do quite well at kennels. Most kennels have
quick access to veterinary care that can also be very important in
certain situations. My clients and I agree that the pets I look after
seem to be much happier and calmer staying "at home". Even though it is
usually quieter when you are away, I find that most pets settle into a
comfortable routine within a day or two after you depart. For my
"regular" clients the adjustment time is usually much shorter or even
non-existent as soon as they see that "Uncle Karl" is back again.

Do you have any references or clients I can talk to?

Many of my clients are available as references so
please feel free to contact me if you would like to speak directly to
some of them or if you have any other questions about your particular
needs.

If I am staying in a Flagstaff area motel, can you
watch our pet?

Due to the complexity of arrangements and other
insurance considerations, I do not perform pet-sitting when the clients
are staying at hotels/motels in the area. If you are staying at a rental
property that is a "home" while in Flagstaff, this would probably be a
situation where my services would be appropriate.

What happens to my pets if I don’t return on time or
return early?

Because there is always a chance that travel plans
can change, you simply contact me if you return early so I stop visits
before planned. If your plans change and you stay away longer than
expected, contact me and I usually can accommodate extending the time I
make my visits. If for some reason you are unexpectedly delayed, I will
continue making visits until you return and I hear from you to make sure
your pets are not left unattended.

Do you
charge less for houses without pets or for checking only on the outside
of a home?

Although I did
start out with those types of different fee levels, I now have one
standard price level that is the same for [pets] [no pets] [whole-house]
[inside only] or [outside only] House Checks. When I first designed my
pricing levels, I thought these different details would make a
difference in how much should be charged for each visit. Now, after many
years of running my business, I have determined the major expense comes
from making the trip to the home (travel cost) and taking care of
whatever is needed (time cost) – the minor details have very little to
do with my final expenses. Therefore I now use a one-price structure
that is also easier to understand.

Can’t find your question?

Ask me directly with an email and it may even end up here in my FAQ
list.